Category: Electronic Rights

Killing Internet Radio

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Doc Searls on the RIAA’s latest lobbying to maintain its monopoly

First the RIAA successfully lobbies the Librarian of Congress to impose a distribution fee and reporting regime on the infant Internet radio business, essentially preventing it from happening. That was in 2002, though the lobbying started in ’98, right after the same kinda guys got the DMCA pushed through.
Now comes news from J.D. that the RIAA wants to get the FCC to impose a “broadcast flag” on radio as well as TV. It’s creepy shit:
The Recording Industry Association of America has discovered that digital radio broadcasts can be copied and redistributed over the Internet.
?
The horror.
And so the RIAA, the music business’s trade and lobbying group, has asked the Federal Communications Commission to step in and impose an “audio broadcast flag” on certain forms of digital radio.
On April 15, the FCC bowed to the RIAA’s request and initiated a notice of inquiry, typically a step leading to formal rule-making. The public may submit comments to the FCC between June 16 and July 16.

2003 Wisconsin Political Lobbying

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Katherine Skiba summarizes state political lobbying spending (data is from the Wisconsin Ethics Board). I was surprised at Wisconsin’s top spender(s):

Tuning out the Media

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Dot Com era Billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban on why we’re tuning out the media…

We are now in an era where media searches for stories that will generate media coverage of the story. Stories are written not for the value they bring the readers, viewers or listeners, but rather the volume of coverage they will bring.
The question I had then, is the same question I have now? What is the goal of these media outlets? How do they define what is ?newsworthy.? It sure appears to me that the newsmedia has evolved from ?all the news that is fit to print? to ?How much free publicity can we get from this story??

Thanks to Glenn Reynolds who correctly states: “They’re churning out Granadas and Chevettes and telling us that we’re idiots for complaining.”

Lessig Congressional Testimony on Copyright Extremism

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Professor Lessig goes to Washington to testify about Congressman Rick Boucher’s Digital Media Consumer Rights Act [pdf].
This is one issue you should support. Contact Tammy Baldwin and tell her you support Boucher’s bill.
This is what happens when the public sleeps…. Support the EFF.
Yet another reason to get involved: Security expert Bruce Schneier writes: Curb electronic surveillance abuses, as technological monitoring grows more prevalent, court supervision is crucial

Microsoft pays for Kind’s Trip to Seattle

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Interesting example of money, technology & politics. Wisconsin voters have many other priorities, such as education, jobs, taxes and healthcare. How exactly, the Windows 2003 Server and Office 2003 product launches fit into those priorities is a mystery:
“If people really believe that something like this makes members of Congress bribable, obviously they have a very poor opinion of members of Congress.” Ron Kind, Wisconsin congressman. Katherine M. Skiba and Jeff Nelson follow the money….. The airfare prices look like first class… Why exactly would Microsoft spend money on a Congressman from La Crosse, WI?
Additional trips were timed to include product launches such as Windows Server 2003 and Office 2003….
Microsoft’s priorities include copyright, patent, purchasing and other issues…..

Best Law Money Can Buy

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From Dave Farber’s IP List:

Lets the DOJ bring civil suits on behalf of copyright owners. (Link goes to
text of bill):
I especially enjoy the thought of the DOJ having a division that “(employs
and leverages) the expertise of technical experts in computer forensics;
(and) (F) collects and preserves) electronic data in a forensically sound
manner for use in court proceedings”. I wonder how far 2 million dollars
will get them in one year.
S. 2237 (Pirate Act)